


Popping the Question

by vanillafluffy



Category: Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Customer Service & Tech Support, Gen, Odd Couples
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-13
Updated: 2019-06-13
Packaged: 2020-05-07 04:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19201795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/pseuds/vanillafluffy
Summary: The prompt was for Bucky and M'baku in a tech support AU. I've worked in my share of cube-farms; I could totally see this happening.





	Popping the Question

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emmatheslayer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emmatheslayer/gifts).



Sound carries over the eight-foot tall partition in the tech support call center. M'baku can hear his cube-partner’s side of the conversation clearly…all the standard diagnostics…any moment now, he’s going to pop the question…M'baku fishes a rubber band from his desk drawer and gets ready.

“Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?”

Grinning, he aims toward a worn spot on the ceiling tiles and snaps the rubber band. It bounces off the ceiling, flies over the wall and drops to Bucky’s desk. Two points! He’s caught up after getting snapped earlier for asking if the caller’s computer is plugged in at both ends. (It wasn't.)

He waits until Bucky’s off the call, then asks, “I didn’t get your coffee, did I?” That’s an automatic win for the day, so they’ve both gotten very protective of their beverages. Loser of the week buys the first round Friday afternoon.

“Not even close!” Bucky scoffs. “Hey, was that guy you were talking to earlier really running 4.2? Seriously?”

“Yes! On a twelve year-old Dell, if you can believe that.” People can’t always afford to have the latest and greatest tech, but the IP address was an affluent neighborhood, so why would he hang on to something that’s been obsolete for a decade? Does the guy weave cloth for his own clothes, too? 

“Some people!” By his tone, Bucky’s shaking his head.

They don’t have much in common outside of work; M'baku is married with kids, Bucky is gay and shacked up. M'baku lives in the ‘burbs, Bucky is a city boy through and through. M'baku is vegan, Bucky an unapologetic carnivore. They don’t follow the same sports teams or listen to the same music. Aside from their jobs, the only thing of note that they share is a love of old movies.

Last year at Christmastime, they exchanged gifts--without planning to, they’d each gotten the other vintage movie posters. M'baku glances at the bold image of King Kong atop the Empire State Building that dominates the space. He’d mentioned to Bucky early on in their acquaintance that he likes gorillas. And yeah, he’s seen every version of King Kong ever made. 

His own contribution was a poster from “The Great Waldo Pepper”, because Bucky admits he’s got a Thing for young Robert Redford. M'baku has met Bucky’s significant other--blond, blue-eyed Steve--apparently, he has a type. Live and let live….

An incoming call beeps. “Thanks for calling tech support. This is M'baku, how can I help you?”

The caller has an easy question that comes up once in a while. He answers…is he sure? the caller wants to know.

“Look at the word. Now put a ‘T’ on the end. Do you give people ‘jifts’ for their birthday? No, you give them _gifts_. Thank you for letting me help you, have a pleasant day.” He hangs up and hears Bucky chuckle.

“Wow, you told them!”

“It’s so trivial, and it’s not really a tech support question, is it?”

“Look at the bright side,” Bucky drawls, “they think you’re an all-knowing expert.”

“Like the little old lady who wanted you to talk her through setting up her DVD player?” M'baku retorts. It never fails to amaze him how many people think they’re here to help with _any_ technical question they have, whether or not it’s related to their computers.

“Good thing it was a slow day,” Bucky comments. “Almost as slow as she was. She seriously wanted to know how to get it to play her vinyl!”

They both snicker at the memory, although Bucky had practically been tearing his hair out at the time.

“You’ll be old, too, some day!” A woman’s voice rings out, and M'baku looks over to see their boss standing in the corridor at just the right spot to look into both cubicles. “Just wait, in thirty years, you’ll be calling wanting to know how to plug your flash-drive into your shiny new hologram interface. So be nice, because one of these days, you’ll need the karma!”

“Yes, ma’am,” Bucky responds, feigning contrition. “Sorry, Shuri. It’s an inside joke.”

Shuri eyes M'baku. “I don’t have to separate you two, do I?”

“No, ma’am,” he rumbles. “We’re trying to achieve work-life balance in our jobs. That’s all” He tries to look ingratiating, although from the way her lips twitch, she’s not completely buying it.

His phone beeps. Shuri disappears; she has a company to run. They’re just circuits in the machine.

M'baku turns his attention to the caller’s problem. “Yes, sir…and what has it been doing or not doing? I see…have you tried turning it off and turning it back on?”

…


End file.
